Ask Perplexity AI: Which Colleges and Universities Make the Largest PILOT Payments to Their Host Communities?

Yale University. Yale makes greater PILOT payments to its host city than any other American university. Photo: yale.edu
This column from Ira Bryck is part of a new series entitled “Ask Perplexity AI”. Each column will pose a question to Perplexity AI seeking an analysis of a challenge facing the town. Bryck understands that Artificial Intelligence is not Actual Intelligence, but it’s better than Real Stupid; and like life, it’s garbage in, garbage out. Read previous “Ask Perplexity AI” columns here.
Here is a bulleted list of the top 50 U.S. universities and colleges by annual PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) paid to their host cities. Information on Amherst College, UMass Amherst, and Hampshire College is noted below as their payments are much lower than the national leaders. Dollar figures are rounded and reflect the most current public information (2023–2025). Where available, major community gifts or non-cash contributions are noted.
A bit more about PILOTs and special gifts, from our three local institutions, based on public records:
- UMass Amherst makes no formal annual cash PILOT; it pays ~$310,000/year for town services, has gifted $400,000 for a new ambulance, and covers other minor fees. It made a $1.025 million contribution to be paid annually for 5 years
- As of February 2025, Amherst College has a formal agreement with the Town of Amherst and contributes $750,000 annually for schools, fire/EMS, and downtown infrastructure, including roads and sidewalks. It has committed $1.1 M to the Jones Library, $250,000 to support planning for a new fire station or DPW, and $175,000 to the Drake.
- Hampshire College Makes a $21,000 annual PILOT payment with the amount increasing2.5% per year.
Compare this to:
- Yale University ~$23M/year (2023–2027, under current agreement); plus major gifts to public schools and neighborhood programs
- Brown University & Providence Consortium (Providence, RI) ~$22M/year (combined cash from four colleges: Brown, RISD, Providence College, Johnson & Wales); plus major gifts: $442M total package over 20 years includes cash and other contributions to city initiatives
- Princeton University ~$5M/year direct to city (plus $2.25M/year to public schools and other grants); plus major gifts: Direct municipal, school district, and nonprofit funding
- Boston University ~$6.3M/year (FY23); plus major gifts: Supports city partnerships and outreach
- Harvard University ~$6.3M/year cash to Boston, <$5M to Cambridge; plus major gifts: Community benefit programs credited by city. Harvard’s reported voluntary Boston PILOT is typically under $6.3M/year and consistently below the city’s full request
- Cornell University ~$4M/year (new agreement as of Oct 2023); plus major gifts: Endowment for public schools
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology ~$3.6M/year (2023 to Cambridge); plus major gifts: Workforce and housing initiatives
- Northeastern University (Boston, MA) ~$3.2M/year (2023 to Boston); plus major gifts: STEM education partnerships
- University of Rochester (Rochester, NY) ~$2.4M/year voluntary payment; plus major gifts: Health clinics and local partnerships
- Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH) ~$2M/year (includes water/sewer payments); plus major gifts: Public land and infrastructure
- Tufts University ~$1.7M/year; plus major gifts: Community partnerships
- University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN) ~$1.6M/year; plus major gifts: Neighborhood development support
- Syracuse University ~$1.5M/year
- Emory University (Atlanta, GA) ~$1.5M/year
- Boston College ~$1.3M/year
- University of Southern California ~$1.2M/year
- Georgetown University ~$1.1M/year
- Johns Hopkins University ~$1.1M/year
- Williams College ~$900,000/year; plus major gifts: $5M for new fire station, $1.5M school endowment
- Clark University ~$900,000/year
- Case Western Reserve University ~$800,000/year
- University of Vermont ~$800,000/year
- Rice University ~$700,000/year
- Lehigh University ~$650,000/year
- Northwestern University ~$600,000/year
- Fordham University ~$600,000/year
- Saint Louis University ~$550,000/year
- Villanova University ~$530,000/year
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ~$500,000/year
- University of Delaware ~$500,000/year
- Wake Forest University ~$500,000/year
- Brandeis University ~$475,000/year
- Vanderbilt University ~$450,000/year
- Colgate University ~$440,000/year
- Bowdoin College ~$420,000/year
- Drexel University ~$400,000/year
- Middlebury College ~$380,000/year
- Lafayette College ~$370,000/year
- University of Miami ~$350,000/year
- Washington University ~$340,000/year
- University of Denver ~$320,000/year
- Smith College ~$300,000/year
- Bates College ~$290,000/year
- Franklin & Marshall College ~$270,000/year
- Swarthmore College ~$250,000/year
- Skidmore College ~$250,000/year
- Bryn Mawr College ~$230,000/year
Notes
Cash PILOT amounts are often supplemented by in-kind gifts, one-time donations, and community programs.
Figures are estimates based on university, municipal, and news reports from 2023–2025.
No official nationwide top-100 PILOT list is maintained publicly; rankings are based on best available data and may fluctuate year-to-year.
AI is a fun tool to use but shouldn’t be viewed as factually accurate. Ira Bryck’s column today “Ask Perplexity AI: Which Colleges and Universities Make the Largest PILOT Payments to Their Host Communities?” paints an inaccurate picture of how UMass Amherst supports the town of Amherst. Indeed, the University purchased a $400,000 ambulance for Amherst. However, the university provides the Town $700,000 per year toward fire and ambulance service; $200,000 per year to support K-12 students living in university housing; and another $125,000 combined for safe and healthy neighborhoods and an economic impact fee. That doesn’t include the annual hotel fees, licenses and permits or multi-million-dollar payments for water and sewer. At the bare minimum, UMass Amherst pays $1,025,000 to the town. Looks like AI needs to stay in school.
I am comparing what I said perplexity said (see article) to what Emily Gest said (above), and it seems like we both agree that $1.025 million is to be paid to the town (note: annually for 5 years), contributing towards fire and ambulance service, K-12 students living in university housing, safe and healthy neighborhoods and an economic impact fee. It just didn’t itemize them. Also, I would not call payments for licenses, fees, water or sewer payments contributions to the town; they are costs of doing business. So it seems in this case AI wasn’t hallucinating.
Although this list is very good, some of these figures are not accurate or do not convey that even though they seem large to us they are rather small in proportion to their endowments or how concerned or angry their host communities are about the issue. Examples: (1) Cornell and Ithaca are in contentious debate/conflict and the recent $4M offer by Cornell was a “take it or we never offer again” and this is a long term “flat dollar” offer which depreciates its value. (2) Princeton contributes far more than attributed here and it is to a widespread list of community recipients. Also, Princeton develops their contributions with in depth community input as well. Other schools do not. (3) Amherst College did recently agree to donate $1M. (4) I have to check my files but Smith does not give an annual dedicated amount and issues sporadic donations that add up to $150,000 to $300,000 per year. And again, where is the context to say that these amounts are almost pennies compared to the endowments and the size of locally unfunded needs. Also one has to factor in the actual tax base value of these campuses and even though that is not a fair comparison for many reasons it is still important to know because some colleges donate little but have large urban campuses. Mayor Menino created his College NPO PILOT Program which asked for 25% of an entities tax base value. The Menino Program continues to this day. I could go on and on about this issue as it is very nuanced and AI may not be the best flashlight.
All good points, Terence. I would hope you’d be tapped to be part of an official discussion between the town and UMass, when pigs fly.
It would also be good to measure how much pilots/contributions cover the true cost of hosting a flagship state university in a bursting city known as a town. Aside from ambulance and police, the roads are horrendous, and cost $1,000,000 per mile to repair. We have a $45 million backlog on road repair, and the town acknowledges we will never catch up. If UMass was to donate another $1 million per year, it would only be enough to pave 1 mile of our 100 miles of roads.
There are many ways in which we don’t pay the true costs of things. The cost of gasoline doesn’t begin to cover cleaning up the pollution (though apparently that is not a government priority anymore). But in Amherst, the taxpayers pay the true costs of UMass not paying for their actual economic impact.
Part of the way the community pays the true costs that UMass (and HC and AC) don’t pay is by living with Baja-like roads.
You can bet that UMass would not be shy to give less, given its own perilous financial condition. You can see on the list schools that changed their deal, and in our case, 5 years goes fast. Then a “robust conversation” would need to happen. It needs to also happen now.